Kevin Shaughnessy

Kevin Shaughnessy was born in 1970 and raised in Trumbull, Nebraska. He earned his B.S. degree with honors and highest distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1992. While at Nebraska, he worked with Reuben D. Rieke on developing Rieke zinc-promoted reactions. He then joined the group of Robert M. Waymouth at Stanford University, where he developed zirconocene-catalyzed carbometalation reactions. Upon completing his PhD (1998), he moved to Yale to work with John F. Hartwig on palladium-catalyzed enolate arylations and development of high-throughput screening assays. In 1999, he joined the chemistry faculty at The University of Alabama, where he is currently Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. His research interests have focused on the development of catalytic methodologies and mechanistic studies of these systems.  He served as chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry for ten years (2009-2019).

CV
​

Professor, University of Alabama (2014-present) Editorial Board Member, Organic Reactions​ (2018-present) Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (2009-2019)  Director of Undergraduate Studies (2007-2009)  Associate Professor, University of Alabama (2005-2014) Assistant Professor, University of Alabama (1999-2005) Post-Doctoral Associate, Yale University (John Hartwig, 1997-1999) PhD, Stanford University (Bob Waymouth, 1998) BS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Reuben Rieke, 1992)

Andrea Nuñez León

Andrea is a native of Ecuador.  She entered the PhD program in chemistry in fall 2018 and joined the Shaughnessy group in spring 2019. Her research is focused on removal of toxic metals from water sources.
BS, University of Stuttgart
​MS, University of Stuttgart

Emily McEachern

Emily joined the PhD program in fall 2019 and began working with the Shaughnessy group at the end of 2019. Emily’s research is focused on synthesis of ligands containing acid/base sites applicable to ligand-assisted catalysis.
BS, University of South Carolina (2019)

Makynna Koper

Makynna joined the PhD program in fall 2021, but began her research with the Shaughnessy group earlier that summer. Makynna’s research is focused on the study of palladium-precatalysts for cross-coupling reaction.
BS, Southwestern Oklahoma State University (2021)

Kehinde Ogunmola

Kehinde joined the PhD program in January 2021.  Kehinde’s research is focused on developing methods for the functionalization of closo-borate anion cluster compounds.

Adedayo Adebayo

Adedayo joined the group in January 2022.  Adedayo’s research is focused on synthesis of amine palladium precatalysts for cross-coupling reactions.

Maciej Woszczyk

Maciej is a summer research student from Poland.  He just completed high school and will enroll as a chemistry major at the University of Warsaw in fall 2023.  Maciej is working to synthesize new phosphine ligands that will be applied to boron cross-coupling chemistry.

Kelsey Matsen

Kelsey is a biology major and a member of the UA rowing team.  She joined the group in spring 2023 and is working to develop ligands for metal-ligand cooperative catalysis.

Blake Yuenger

Blake is a chemistry major and joined the group in spring 2023.  Blake’s is working to synthesis palladium complexes to serve as precatalysts for cross-coupling reactions.

Ty Murphy

Ty Murphy is a chemistry major who joined the group in fall 2022.  Ty’s research is focused on synthesis of ligands to extract cadmium ions from water streams.

Abbie Halloran

Abbie is a chemistry major and joined the group in fall 2022.  Abbie’s research is focused on the synthesis of new palladium precatalysts for cross-coupling reactions.

Maria Evola

Maria is a New College interdisciplinary studies major and joined the group in fall 2022.  Her research is focused on the synthesis of ligands capable of participating in metal-ligand cooperative bond activation.

Allison Rhoads

Allison is a chemistry major and joined the Shaughnessy group in fall 2021 as a member of the Emerging Scholars Program.  Allison’s research is focused on new ligands for ligand-metal cooperative catalysis.